We are now officially halfway through the 25 Days of Christmas Books for 2015! While this makes me a bit stressed out as I still have so much to do in preparation for the holiday; I find a sweet, simple book like this one helps me take a deep breath and refocus myself and our family’s hurried schedule. My copy of this is a board book, which is proving helpful for my less-than-gentle younger daughter who loves to look through it multiple times a day. It contains all the aspects of Christmas she finds exciting: dogs, popcorn, Christmas trees, babies, Santa, candy canes, cookies, reindeer, ducks, donkeys, Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus. Whew! Yes, it is all here in this very short, very sweet, rhyming message about the true celebration for Christmas. Here is What Is Christmas? by Michelle Medlock Adams, illustrated by Amy Wummer, 2006.

A new adventure started today with “Mrs. Caryn” leading storytime at Union Ave Books in downtown Knoxville. It was great fun and we had an excellent turnout. Surprisingly, none of the children had read our featured book which was The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers. Read the full post…

About Me

Hello. I'm Caryn, passionate obsessor of children's picture books and an illustrator. This is where I share my ever-growing knowledge and love of children's books. I'll be reviewing books, sharing tips, and hopefully convincing the world of the loveliness of picture books.

Happy Juneteenth! On this important day commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States, one book came to mind immediately. Take a glimpse of this difficult, beautiful, and necessary book: Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson, 2011.

A beautifully narrated and breathtakingly illustrated biography about Pura Belpré – the first Puerto Rican librarian in New York City. This book is a must see: Planting Stories The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré by Anika Aldamuy Denise, illustrations by Paola Escobar.

An incredible non-fiction picture book about the history of the Negro Leagues. A hefty book in size and information, overflowing with breathtaking paintings by Kadir Nelson, this is a book not to be missed by baseball lovers everywhere.

A special new book. A charming story about a little boy encountering a girl with noticeable disability and learning that making friends is not as hard as it feels sometimes. This book is like illustrated role-play, teaching how to handle specific situations. It opens conversations. It puts things into words that we don’t even know how to ask. And this book breaks several picture book “rules” for some really good reasons. Check out When Charley Met Emma by Amy Webb, illustrated by Merrilee Liddiard.

Today I wrestle with how to share a brilliantly clever, marvelously illustrated book. It is a story, quite simply, about walls. It is a surprising story, a hilarious story, a fun and thought-provoking story. Don’t miss this one. It is worth reading, talking about with everyone, and reading aloud to anyone: The Wall in the(…)

The newest one to our stack is Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968 by Alice Faye Duncan, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, 2018. It is a lengthier picture book, a combination of poetry and prose, based on a teacher who participated in the strike and marches in Memphis as a child. Come learn along with me.

Today’s book is another well-known song, this time without explanation; but rather exquisitely illustrated, depicting a beautiful interpretation of the song’s message of faith, trust, family, and nature.